Snails

Snails carry a coiled external shell into which the soft body can retract, distinguishing them at a glance from shell-less slugs. Like slugs, they move on a mucus-lubricated muscular foot and leave a silvery slime trail behind.

• Irregular, ragged holes in leaves with smooth edges
• Silvery slime trails on soil, foliage, or fruit surfaces
• Shells found sheltering under debris, in dense ground cover, or in soil cracks by day
• Damage to seedlings that can appear suddenly overnight

Snails are hermaphroditic, with each individual carrying both male and female reproductive organs, though many species still mate. Eggs are laid in clusters in moist soil or under debris, and juveniles resemble small adults, growing a larger shell as they feed and mature.

Snails are most active at night or during humid, overcast weather, sheltering inside their shell in cracks, under debris, or in dense vegetation during dry or hot periods; some species can persist for multiple seasons in favourable, consistently moist habitats.

Feeding produces irregular, ragged holes in leaves and can destroy seedlings outright, while fruit that touches or hangs near the ground can be scarred or holed. Slime trails and feeding damage can also affect the marketability of leafy crops even when the plant otherwise survives.

Hosts include lettuce, cabbage, and strawberry, among other low-growing vegetable and fruit crops.

Field scouting after dusk or during damp weather, when snails are most active, helps confirm presence and estimate pressure. Baited traps and shelters, such as damp boards checked periodically, are commonly used to estimate populations before planting susceptible seedling crops.

Snail management focuses on reducing the moist, sheltered conditions snails favour and protecting the most vulnerable seedling stage.

• Improve field or garden drainage and reduce excessive surface moisture or debris where practical
• Conserve ground beetles and other natural predators
• Monitor with baited traps or shelters ahead of planting to judge risk
• Remove sheltering debris and dense ground cover near vulnerable crops